Parnassus and Bard - From Hermans?

Colorado peak questions, condition requests and other info.
Forum rules
  • This is a mountaineering forum, so please keep your posts on-topic. Posts do not all have to be related to the 14ers but should at least be mountaineering-related.
  • Personal attacks and confrontational behavior will result in removal from the forum at the discretion of the administrators.
  • Do not use this forum to advertise, sell photos or other products or promote a commercial website.
  • Posts will be removed at the discretion of the site administrator or moderator(s), including: Troll posts, posts pushing political views or religious beliefs, and posts with the purpose of instigating conflict within the forum.
    For more details, please see the Terms of Use you agreed to when joining the forum.
User avatar
hvolmer
Posts: 32
Joined: 8/25/2011
14ers: 20 
13ers: 32
Trip Reports (0)
 

Parnassus and Bard - From Hermans?

Post by hvolmer »

It appears that Herman's Gulch / Watrous trail is the way to get started on Parnassus. If I have time and choose to go to Bard, is there a way down that returns me somewhere near Herman's? I don't think the forest in that area will be very neat and tidy given the amount of fallen trees in the area.

I see Bard Creek Trail in other trip reports, but I don't see it on my map. I do see Bard Creek which appears to head east - in the wrong direction - which implies that the trail might do the same... :?:

Thanks!
User avatar
mtgirl
Posts: 1883
Joined: 3/11/2006
14ers: 58  2 
13ers: 104
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Parnassus and Bard - From Hermans?

Post by mtgirl »

This trip report might be of some help:
http://www.14ers.com/php14ers/triprepor ... ki=Include" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
"Life is not measured by the breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away."
User avatar
wildlobo71
Posts: 2080
Joined: 4/1/2008
14ers: 58  5 
13ers: 88
Trip Reports (3)
 
Contact:

Re: Parnassus and Bard - From Hermans?

Post by wildlobo71 »

What she said!
Bill W.

Time for the next great losing streak to begin.
#forcedrefocus
User avatar
TaylorHolt
Posts: 761
Joined: 5/6/2012
14ers: 58  2  15 
13ers: 210 7
Trip Reports (8)
 

Re: Parnassus and Bard - From Hermans?

Post by TaylorHolt »

The best route down is to head into the drainage on the south side of the saddle between Parnassus and Bard. Stay to the right (Parnassus side) until you reach a small boulder field just above treeline. From here, head up about 300 ft on a faintly marked trail to gain the southern ridge of Parnassus. This requires some upclimbing. Cairns will lead you to the Bard Creek Tr and back to the trail junction with the Watrous Gulch Tr. From here follow the trail for the remaining 1.4 miles back to the trailhead.
“If you're bumming out, you're not gonna get to the top, so as long as we're up here we might as well make a point of grooving." -Scott Fischer
User avatar
hvolmer
Posts: 32
Joined: 8/25/2011
14ers: 20 
13ers: 32
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Parnassus and Bard - From Hermans?

Post by hvolmer »

mtgirl wrote:This trip report might be of some help:
http://www.14ers.com/php14ers/triprepor ... ki=Include" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Man, you guys are fast!! Thanks for that. I had actually just scanned that trip report and wasn't quite sure about where Bard landed.

It comes from Watrous along the south of Parnassus and Bard?
User avatar
TaylorHolt
Posts: 761
Joined: 5/6/2012
14ers: 58  2  15 
13ers: 210 7
Trip Reports (8)
 

Re: Parnassus and Bard - From Hermans?

Post by TaylorHolt »

Bard Trail runs parallel to I-70, just below treeline, on the south side of Parnassus and Bard. The trail does meetup with Watrous Gulch Trail.
“If you're bumming out, you're not gonna get to the top, so as long as we're up here we might as well make a point of grooving." -Scott Fischer
User avatar
hvolmer
Posts: 32
Joined: 8/25/2011
14ers: 20 
13ers: 32
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Parnassus and Bard - From Hermans?

Post by hvolmer »

Lemmiwinks wrote:Bard Trail runs parallel to I-70, just below treeline, on the south side of Parnassus and Bard. The trail does meetup with Watrous Gulch Trail.
The 24K USGS map on my phone doesn't show anything there. Good to know.

Thanks folks!
User avatar
wildlobo71
Posts: 2080
Joined: 4/1/2008
14ers: 58  5 
13ers: 88
Trip Reports (3)
 
Contact:

Re: Parnassus and Bard - From Hermans?

Post by wildlobo71 »

hvolmer wrote:
mtgirl wrote:This trip report might be of some help:
http://www.14ers.com/php14ers/triprepor ... ki=Include" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Man, you guys are fast!! Thanks for that. I had actually just scanned that trip report and wasn't quite sure about where Bard landed.

It comes from Watrous along the south of Parnassus and Bard?
Yes, it "appears" near the top of the plateau on the ridge my direction arrows say to aim for - once you see the cairns, scan to the west and down towards I-70 a bit and you will pick it up. It's faint.

Bard Creek Trail Info
Bill W.

Time for the next great losing streak to begin.
#forcedrefocus
onepeakatatime
Posts: 36
Joined: 3/20/2013
Trip Reports (1)
 

Re: Parnassus and Bard - From Hermans?

Post by onepeakatatime »

Much of the area below treeline is ugly and boring as you go up from Hermen Gulch. I was hiking there this morning. but keep pressing on and you will be rewarded! After about 3/4 mile the goes up Watrous Gulch. The views from that point make the effort more than wothwhile. Just have to take a little bad to get the good. A lot of the tree fall has been cleared away from the trail.
User avatar
hvolmer
Posts: 32
Joined: 8/25/2011
14ers: 20 
13ers: 32
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Parnassus and Bard - From Hermans?

Post by hvolmer »

onepeakatatime wrote:Much of the area below treeline is ugly and boring as you go up from Hermen Gulch. I was hiking there this morning. but keep pressing on and you will be rewarded! After about 3/4 mile the goes up Watrous Gulch. The views from that point make the effort more than wothwhile. Just have to take a little bad to get the good. A lot of the tree fall has been cleared away from the trail.
We went up Hermans to the lake and up Pettingell, and down below the Citadel last weekend. I thought that was a wonderful hike (out of the boring trees that is). If the scenery and terrain is half as good, it will be great. So odd to be so close to highway and noise, and yet feel so small and disconnected.
User avatar
Derek
Posts: 1156
Joined: 5/22/2006
Trip Reports (57)
 
Contact:

Re: Parnassus and Bard - From Hermans?

Post by Derek »

More info if you want it from my loop of Bard/parn/woods/mache from Herman Gulch TH last summer. Fun loop.

http://coloradowilderness.weebly.com/6-14-2012.html

Nice trail all the way to treeline, see map. The descent from Machebuef wasn't the easiest, but you can skip that part of the loop and stick to trails if desired. Didn't have any downed tree issues that I recall....?
User avatar
James Dziezynski
Posts: 323
Joined: 12/11/2007
14ers: 58 
Trip Reports (5)
 
Contact:

Re: Parnassus and Bard - From Hermans?

Post by James Dziezynski »

“Dogs teach us a very important lesson in life: The mail man is not to be trusted.” — Sian Ford
Post Reply